Jake McMurchie: jazz saxophone player and composer, web designer and developer, living in Bristol, UK

Curriculum Vitae

Name Jake McMurchie
E-mail
(please email me for other contact details)
D.O.B. 27th February 1971

Portfolio summary

Key Skills

Technical

Personal

Professional Experience

Dec 2005 - present
Freelance Web Designer and Developer

I am working on small and medium-sized websites taking a creative brief from clients, producing the graphic design for the website and other branding materials (e.g. business cards and letterhead). I frequently see the website through to completion, producing the HTML/CSS, developing customised modules using PHP that allow interactivity and integrate with behind-the-scenes systems, and also provide a full content managements system (CMS) based on the WordPress CMS.

I frequently work as a PHP and client-side HTML/CSS/Javascript developer with designers and other teams and individuals on other projects.

I also provide IT consultancy services

Examples below were completed by me alone from conception through to installation except where otherwise stated.

Oct 2004 - Dec 2005
Product Manager (WEX online), S-cool Limited

Responsible for design, specification, delivery and roll-out of the second generation of S-Cool's "WEX Online" system and complementary application "WEX Logbook Online". The former an online application allowing a call-centre team to recruit employers offering work experience, students to search for an appropriate placement, and teachers to oversee the successful application process and placement itself. This was delivered to 3000 students in the South West and 1500 students in Hampshire.

This role involved:

I also set up and led the S-cool 'Green Team', drafting the company's environmental policy, introducing many energy-saving measures and practices and coordinating the team that implemented these.

Feb 2003 - Oct 2004
Project Manager, S-Cool Limited

Responsible for specification, quality assurance and delivery of several large-scale projects. These include large-scale online software systems that support the education system in schools in the south-west, e.g. WorkExperience online, bespoke systems for individual customers such as South West Screen's contacts database system and other products such as S-Cool's custom content management system.

This role also included mentoring and managing the work of two junior project managers.

I took and passed my Prince 2 Foundation qualification achieving a score of 69/75

May 2002 - Jan 2003
Design and Usability Engineer, Assured Works

I was responsible for User Interface (UI) design and development for Web applications produced for third party clients. I was also responsible for a complete redesign, rewrite and rebuild of Assured Works' website and literature. Specific projects included:

May 2001 - May 2002
Web Designer and Producer, Freelance

Various web design, construction and development projects projects which include:

Other projects included:

January 2000 - May 2001
Senior Web Designer, City Netgates (now Kaliba Netgates)

Oversaw and exectued the design and development of many websites. I was responsible for the management and training of a Junior Web Designer.

Other work included:

Examples of other websites designed and constructed by me that include dynamic, database-driven elements (built using Dreamweaver) and/or flash elements:

April 1999 - December 1999
Web and Graphic Design, Freelance

Design, construction and publishing of several websites:

Design of several CD covers, publicity posters and fliers:

August 1998 - March 1999

Period spent travelling Australasia and South-East Asia.

September 1993 - July 1998

Professional musician (jazz saxophonist), composer and workshop leader.

Education

1990 - 1993
Cambridge University, Robinson College

MA Hons in mathematics

1982 - 1989
Henbury School, Bristol

S. Level (Mathematics, grade 1)
A. levels (3 grade A's, 1 grade B)
O. levels (9 grade A's, 1 grade B)

Interests

Music continues to be a pervasive and motivating force in my life. I still play, write and record in a professional context regularly.

I am very interested in food, both by helping to run my family's allotment and in cooking the produce.

Environmental concerns have caused me to review and revise many aspects of my life. I am an active member of Bristol's Friends of the Earth group and have helped them with campaigning and in particular with establishing and utilising a strong web presence for their campaigns.

Above all my spare time is kept occupied by a young family. Inevitably I am involved with my daughter's school's PTA but my main objective is to be more interesting than CBBC to my two young children aged 4 and 5.

Referees

(References available on request)

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